DeVoe, 28, had been in a coma since Nov. 12 when the surfboard tether attached to his ankle became tangled in the wooden remnants of a jetty. He was rescued from the water by the Fire Department.

DeVoe worked as a fashion model. His agent, Jason Kanner, confirmed that he died at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan.

Despite the cold water and difficult conditions, Rockaway Beach remains a popular destination for surfers all year round because many of the best surfing days come in late fall or in early winter. At the time of DeVoe’s accident there were about 20 surfers in the water, according to FDNY officials.

For those committed surfers who brave the coldest months, the big waves bring heightened danger. The Atlantic can be choppier in the chilly months than in the summer. Winter surfers also run the risk of being in the water without any lifeguards on duty, although a Fire Department emergency truck is stationed by the boardwalk for most of the day.

“That area is a well known location for surfing and has become busier for our members in terms of responding to those in [need of] assistance,” FDNY spokesman Frank Dwyer wrote in an email.

When Devoe was dragged under, firefighters responded within six minutes, Dwyer said. He had been submerged for “a long period of time” and was in cardiac arrest after being pulled from the water, according to Dwyer. Rescuers rushed DeVoe to Peninsula General Hospital, where he remained in a coma until his death.

DeVoe had come New York in 2004 to pursue his modeling career after graduating from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He appeared in magazines such as Details and GQ and worked with high-profile photographers Bruce Weber and Mario Testino, according to Kanner.

In a statement released by DeVoe’s parents, he was described as having an “interest and aptitude for adventurous sports — snow boarding, trick bicycling and most recently surf boarding.”